Grounds maintenance vehicle with adjustable implement angle

Abstract

A grounds maintenance vehicle having a vehicle frame is disclosed. An implement is coupled to the vehicle frame and has a first implement end and a second implement end. A height selection tool is configured to select one vertical position of a plurality of selectable vertical positions, where each vertical position limits a distance between the implement and the vehicle frame. An implement angle selection tool has a manually engageable mechanism configured to change the elevation of one of the first implement end or the second implement end relative to the other of the first implement end or the second implement end. The implement angle selection tool is configured to fix the elevation of the first implement end relative the second implement end.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A grounds maintenance vehicle comprising:
 a vehicle frame; 
 an implement coupled to the vehicle frame, the implement having a first implement end and a second implement end; 
 a height selection tool configured to select one vertical position of a plurality of selectable vertical positions, wherein each vertical position limits a distance between the implement and the vehicle frame; 
 a first link coupled to the first implement end and the second implement end, wherein the first link has an adjustable length; and 
 an implement angle selection tool having a manually engageable mechanism configured to change the elevation of one of the first implement end or the second implement end relative to the other of the first implement end or the second implement end by adjusting the length of the first link, and the implement angle selection tool is configured to fix the elevation of the first implement end relative the second implement end by fixing the length of the first link. 
 
     
     
       2. The grounds maintenance vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the implement hangs from the vehicle frame via chains. 
     
     
       3. The grounds maintenance vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the implement hangs from the vehicle frame via rigid linkages. 
     
     
       4. The grounds maintenance vehicle of  claim 1 , the implement comprising a plurality of cutting blades. 
     
     
       5. The grounds maintenance vehicle of  claim 4 , wherein the implement further comprises a cutting deck having a housing defining a cutting chamber wherein the plurality of cutting blades are disposed in the cutting chamber. 
     
     
       6. The grounds maintenance vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the height selection tool comprises a first plurality of pin openings defined by the vehicle frame and a first pin configured to be received by each of the pin openings. 
     
     
       7. The grounds maintenance vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising a first shaft pivotably coupled to the vehicle frame and coupled to the implement at the first implement end, wherein the manually engageable mechanism comprises a foot pedal fixed to the first shaft. 
     
     
       8. The grounds maintenance vehicle of  claim 7 , further comprising a second shaft pivotably coupled to the vehicle frame and coupled to the implement at the second implement end. 
     
     
       9. The grounds maintenance vehicle of  claim 8 , wherein the first link rigidly couples the first shaft and the second shaft. 
     
     
       10. The grounds maintenance vehicle of  claim 9 , wherein the implement angle selection tool comprises a second plurality of pin openings defined by the first link and a second pin configured to be received by each of the pin openings. 
     
     
       11. The grounds maintenance vehicle of  claim 9 , wherein the adjustable length of the first link is between the first shaft and the second shaft and the implement angle selection tool fixes the length. 
     
     
       12. A grounds maintenance vehicle comprising:
 a vehicle frame having a first side and a second side; 
 a first shaft pivotably coupled to the vehicle frame extending from the first side to the second side; 
 a second shaft pivotably coupled to the vehicle frame extending from the first side to the second side; 
 an implement having a first implement end and a second implement end, wherein the first implement end is coupled to the first shaft and the second implement end is coupled to the second shaft; 
 a manually engageable mechanism configured to rotate the first shaft and the second shaft in unison; 
 a height selection tool configured to retain the first shaft and the second shaft in each of a plurality of discrete orientations against gravity to define a corresponding plurality of discrete limits on vertical distances between the implement and the vehicle frame; and 
 an implement angle selection tool configured to pivot one of the first shaft or the second shaft relative to the other of the first shaft or the second shaft and fix the orientation of the first shaft relative to the second shaft. 
 
     
     
       13. The grounds maintenance vehicle of  claim 12 , wherein the manually engageable mechanism is fixed to the first shaft and the manually engageable mechanism defines a stepping feature configured to be manually engaged by a foot of a user. 
     
     
       14. The grounds maintenance vehicle of  claim 12 , wherein the implement comprises a plurality of cutting blades. 
     
     
       15. The grounds maintenance vehicle of  claim 12  wherein the implement comprises a cutting deck having a housing defining a cutting chamber and cutting blades disposed in the cutting chamber. 
     
     
       16. The grounds maintenance vehicle of  claim 12 , wherein the first shaft comprises a first shaft body and a first bell crank having a first extension extending radially outward from the first shaft body and the second shaft comprises a second shaft body and a second bell crank having a second extension extending radially outward from the second shaft body, and the grounds maintenance vehicle further comprises a first link coupling the first extension and the second extension. 
     
     
       17. The grounds maintenance vehicle of  claim 16 , wherein the first bell crank has a first arm extending radially outward from the first shaft body in a different radial direction from the first extension and the second bell crank has a second arm extending radially outward and in a different radial direction from the second extension, and the implement hangs from the first arm and second arm. 
     
     
       18. The grounds maintenance vehicle of  claim 16 , wherein the height selection tool comprises a plurality of pin openings defined by the vehicle frame and a pin receiving surface defined by the first link, and the height selection tool further comprises a first pin configured to be received by a pin opening in the vehicle frame and the pin receiving surface of the first link, wherein the first pin is configured to obstruct pivoting of the first shaft and the second shaft. 
     
     
       19. The grounds maintenance vehicle of  claim 16 , wherein the height selection tool defines a plurality of pin openings defined by the vehicle frame and the height selection tool comprises a first pin configured to be received by each of the plurality of pin openings, wherein the first pin obstructs translation of the first link when the first pin is positioned in each of the plurality of pin openings. 
     
     
       20. The grounds maintenance vehicle of  claim 16 , wherein the first link is configured to have a plurality of linear lengths between the first shaft and the second shaft, and the implement angle selection tool is configured to select each of the plurality of linear lengths of the first link. 
     
     
       21. The grounds maintenance vehicle of  claim 20 , wherein the first link comprises a first segment coupled to the first extension and a second segment coupled to the second extension, wherein the implement angle selection tool is configured to secure the first segment to the second segment to define each of the plurality of linear lengths of the first link. 
     
     
       22. The grounds maintenance vehicle of  claim 21 , wherein the first link defines a linear translation pathway between the first segment and the second segment, and the implement angle selection tool selectively secures the first segment relative to the second segment at a plurality of locations along the linear translation pathway. 
     
     
       23. A grounds maintenance vehicle comprising:
 a vehicle frame having a first side and a second side; 
 a first shaft pivotably coupled to the vehicle frame extending from the first side to the second side, the first shaft comprising a first shaft body and a first bell crank towards the first side having a first extension extending radially outward from the first shaft body and a first arm extending radially outward from the first shaft body in a different radial direction from the first extension, and the first shaft further comprising a pivot crank towards the second side, the pivot crank extending radially outward from the first shaft body; 
 a second shaft pivotably coupled to the vehicle frame extending from the first side to the second side, the second shaft comprising a second shaft body and a second bell crank towards the first side having a second extension extending radially outward from the second shaft body and a second arm extending radially outward from the second shaft body, wherein the second arm extends radially outward in a different radial direction than the second extension, the second shaft further comprising a third arm towards the second side, the third arm extending radially outward from the second shaft body; 
 a first link comprising a first segment coupled to the first extension and a second segment coupled to the second extension, wherein the first link has an adjustable length between the first shaft and the second shaft; 
 an implement comprising a cutting deck having a housing defining a cutting chamber, cutting blades disposed in the cutting chamber, a first implement end, and a second implement end, wherein the first implement end is coupled to the first arm and the pivot crank and the second implement end is coupled to the second arm and the third arm; 
 a manually engageable mechanism fixed to the first shaft, the manually engageable mechanism comprising a lever having a stepping feature configured to be manually engaged by a foot of a user, wherein the lever is configured to pivot the first shaft and the second shaft in unison; 
 a height selection tool configured to define a corresponding plurality of discrete limits on vertical distances between the implement and the vehicle frame, wherein the height selection tool comprises: a plurality of pin openings defined by the vehicle frame, and a first pin configured to be received by a pin opening of the plurality of pin openings, wherein the first pin obstructs translation of the first link when the first pin is positioned in each of the first plurality of pin openings; and 
 an implement angle selection tool configured to pivot one of the first shaft or the second shaft relative to the other of the first shaft or the second shaft and fix the orientation of the first shaft relative to the second shaft by selectively securing the first segment to the second segment to define a user-selected linear length of the first link.